


Rodeo

by Sister_Says_Go



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fan Fusion, Gen, Oneshot, Ruby-centric, Steven-centric, fan gem, other gems are basically background characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 17:43:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20821286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sister_Says_Go/pseuds/Sister_Says_Go
Summary: Ruby and Steven go to Homeworld to get an anniversary gift for Sapphire. Things go south quickly.





	Rodeo

**Author's Note:**

> My excuse for this is that Sapphire is literally all of Ruby’s impulse control, as seen by every episode she shows up in ever. Enjoy.
> 
> This is my very first fanfic! Hope everyone likes it!

“You’re… sure about this you two?” Pearl asked the two smaller gems sitting across from her.

“Of course!” exclaimed Ruby, while Sapphire merely nodded. “It’s gonna be our anniversary soon, and I can’t get Sapphy something if we’re Garnet!”

“Ditto.”

“I don’t remember you two doing this last year. Or the year before for that matter.”

“We didn’t know it was a thing before like a week ago, and we thought it looked fun!”

“Well, if it’s that important, maybe I could come with you two?”

“We’re not going together Pearl! That’s the whole point of unfusing!”

“She can come with me Ruby, since I’m leaving first.” Sapphire stated, standing up and smoothing out her dress.

“Oh. Okay then!” Ruby said excitedly as she got up as well, “Bye Sapphy, love you!”

“Love you too dear. See you later tonight. And don’t worry too much, I’ll love it regardless.”

“Hey! No future vision!”

Sapphire just laughed, then floated towards the warp pad in the back of the room, followed closely behind by an amused Pearl. Ruby started pacing moments after hearing the chime signifying they had left, trying to decide where she would go first to look for the perfect gift. Maybe she could go to Little Homeworld? Though there was the chance that Sapphire and Pearl had went there as well, which would again defeat the purpose of unfusing in the first place. Ugh, she should have asked where they were going before they left!…Though, knowing Sapphy as well as she did, she probably would have just gotten a knowing smirk and a kiss for her troubles. Garnet’s sassy side had to come from somewhere after all. Just as she was going to start wearing a groove in the floorboards, Steven walked in the front door. They both stopped to stare at each other, caught off guard.

“Uh, hi Ruby. Where’s Sapphire? Is something wrong?”

“Hi Steven. No, nothin’s wrong. It’s our anniversary soon, so Sapphire and I are looking for gifts for each other today.”

“So you guys went separate ways to keep the presents a surprise?”

“Yup! Sapphire already left, and Pearl went with her, but I’m not sure where they went and I don’t wanna run into them and spoil the surprise.”

“Well, what if we went to Homeworld?”

“What? Wait, we?” Ruby stuttered in surprise.

“Well, yeah” Steven shrugged, “since Pearl went with Sapphire, I could go with you. And I would guess that Pearl wouldn’t want to go to Homeworld, so it’s probably a safe bet.”

Ruby stopped to consider the suggestion. Truth be told, she didn’t really want to go back to Homeworld either, though Steven had a point. Not only would the others most likely not go there, but Steven had been working on improving the Empire for the last 2 or so years. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Besides, it was for Sapphy.

“I like that idea. But are you sure you wanna go with me?”

“I don’t have any plans for today, and I want to help. Though I don’t think you guys ever did anything like this before?”

“Didn’t know it was a thing.”

“Ah.”

* * *

Shortly after arriving on Homeworld, and getting away from the affections of the Diamonds, Ruby and Steven were wandering along the streets, admiring the sights.

“Wooooooow!” Ruby exclaimed, “I don’t remember Homeworld ever looking like this before! It looks so happy!”

Steven just smiled and kept up with the smaller gem. In truth, things had definitely improved in the few years he had spent working with the other diamonds. Most gems had actual smiles now as they went about their days, filling time not spent doing jobs with leisure and fun. As he looked around, he could see gems talking to each other, small stalls popped up here and there between larger stores, all selling a variety of various things of differing values, and multiple entertainers of various kinds, from musicians to artists. He was almost positive he could see Spinel in the distance, juggling a fairly alarming amount of random items, and even what looked like a small gem or two, for a sizable crowd. All in all, it painted a rather nice picture. In the brief time he was looking around, however, he had lost track of Ruby. Oops.

“Ruby? Ruby?!” he called out.

“Over here!”

His head whipped around, the voice coming from his right. She had gotten distracted by something in one of the shop windows, and he, also distracted, had walked right past. He backtracked and went to stand at her side.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

He looked down at what she was pointing at. It was… a large disc of some kind, covered in pictures and symbols, only some of which he recognized, though he could tell that the symbols were (probably) gem language. He shrugged, forgetting for a moment that she wasn’t looking at him.

“Well?”

“Huh? Oh, right. It’s interesting, but I don’t know what it is.”

“That’s great,” she said, not really paying attention, “I’m gonna get it!”

Steven just shook his head and smiled, following her into the shop to pay for the strange object. They decided to take the scenic route back, enjoying the calming atmosphere of a peaceful Homeworld. Well, rather, Steven was enjoying it. Ruby, who had insisted on carrying the strange disc that was almost as large as she was, was getting frustrated, though for once she was trying to stay calm, not wanting to fry the disc.

“Hey Steven, can we head back home? I wanna hide this before Sapphire gets home.”

“Oh yeah, sure. That’s fine by me.” He said, turning back towards the palace.

They didn’t make it very far, however, before they both heard the sounds of a scuffle, coming from somewhere behind them, followed by frantic shouting for someone to stop. Upon turning around, they were both knocked to the side by a pale green gem, slightly taller than Steven, and about as thin as Pearl, running between them. They were carrying a large bag over their shoulder and were being chased by several amethyst guards.

“Whoa/Hey!”

Upon being shoved aside, Ruby, losing her balance, drops the disc, causing it to shatter. She stares down at it in shock for a moment, before wheeling on the green gem that caused the accident, who was already a good distance away.

“That was for Sapphire you jerk!!” She screamed, before charging after the green gem, steam coming out of her ears and curses out of her mouth.

“Aw jeez, she’s fast…” Steven sighed, before jogging after Ruby.

Moments later, the amethyst guards catch up to him, and upon seeing who he is, nearly trip over each other in their haste to salute.

“My Dia-“

“No time for that now, run and talk. Who is she and why are you chasing her?” Steven says in a single breath, continuing his jog after Ruby, followed momentarily later by the guards.

“Um, she’s a Chrysoberyl, they were scouts sent to new colony locations before Era 3, and this one has been stealing from the markets for weeks.” One of the guards said abashedly.

“Is she hard to catch or something? It looks like you guys can barely keep up with her.”

“Well, Chrysoberyls are made to be hard to catch, to be unobtrusive. They’re made for stealth.”

“Oh good.” He said, before shaking his head, “Never mind. My friend Ruby is after her too, so let’s hurry.”

* * *

Ruby had lost her. She couldn’t believe she had lost her. How had she even lost her, she was right there in front of her a moment ago! She hopped up the side of a nearby building, trying to get a better view, when she spotted her, running across a separate rooftop, on top of a series of buildings along one of the many cliff edges dotting the planet. She charged after her, yelling at her to stop so she could kick her butt. Chrysoberyl turned her head, seemingly noticing the small gem for the first time.

“I was about to say, my you lot are persistent, but I’m afraid we haven’t met yet darling.”

“You broke my gift for Sapphire!”

“Oh dear, doesn’t ring a bell, and I can’t stop to chat! Tootles!”

She ducked under a fireball launched at her by Ruby, laughing to herself, before nearly being clipped by a pink shield thrown at her at high speed.

“Steven!”

“You have to be joking. Him too?”

Steven was running alongside them on the ground, having left the amethysts in his dust. He summoned another shield and prepared to throw it.

“Oh I don’t have time for this. Oh darling! Catch!”

Upon saying this, she stopped, grabbed Ruby by the front of her shirt, and, spinning in place by momentum alone, threw her over the edge screaming. Steven, seeing this happen, turns the corner and cuts between two buildings, jumping over the cliff after her.

“Huh. That went better than I thought it would.” Chrysoberyl said to herself, having stopped upon seeing she was alone.

* * *

Well shards, Ruby thought. That could have gone better. Then she saw Steven falling after her, and realized it could get worse too.

“SteVEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

“Saving you!” Upon declaring so, he caught up to her, holding on tight before slowing their fall to nothing.

“Oh yeah. Forgot you could do that.”

“I don’t know how we’re going to get back up there though. It’s a long way down.”

“Yeah…”

“So why did you charge after her anyways?”

“She broke my present to Sapphy!”

“Well, yeah, but I could have just fixed it.”

“Oh.”

“Forgot about that too huh?” he said with a sigh.

“Yeah… Sorry for running off like that Steven. I shouldn’t have tried to go after her alone.”

“Well you’re not alone now.” Upon saying this, the two began to glow, before a sound like a cracking whip and reddish-brown smoke covered the area they were floating in. Two became one, and they started to fall.

* * *

_“Oh. Okay then. We should probably figure out what we’re working with before we fall much farther.” _

“Alright.”

Two eyes, two ears, one nose and one mouth. They looked down. Two legs, jeans and leather leggings, with dark red boots. A band of burgundy went around their stomach, aligned with one of their gems. A light blue sleeveless shirt, with a yellow star in the front. Two arms on the left, the front one sporting their other gem. One large arm on the right, both encased in and infused with a large pink poncho created from their shield and gauntlet, covered their left shoulder and encircled their neck. And to top it off, their hair, tied off with a headband, created the image of a wide brimmed cowboy hat. All in various shades of red and brown.

“Well I’ll be. We make a fine pretty picture.”

_“We’re a cowboy!!!” Ruby exclaimed, stars in her eyes. _

The fusion merely smiled, flexing the large tassels that made up the fingers of their right hand, before winding up their right arm and throwing it as hard as they could, causing it to stretch, letting them grab onto the distant rooftop, stopping their fall. They then pulled, causing their arm to begin returning to its original size, dragging them along with it. They launched up and over the ledge, landing in front of Chrysoberyl, who seemed shocked to see anyone come back up that way, let alone a fusion.

_“Her.” _

The fusion took a step forward, while the green gem took two back. She looked nervous.

“So, I don’t suppose you’ll tell me who you are first darling?”

_“Um, what is out name?” _

_“I think… if Amethyst were here, she would call us…” _

The fusion placed their front left arm on their hip, while their back left arm reached up to tug at their hat-like hair.

“The name’s Rhodolite mam. And I’m afraid what you got in the bag don’t belong to ya. I’ll have to ask ya to come with me.”

“My, you’re rather forward. I would rather not, if it’s all the same to you.”

“’Fraid it’s not.”

“Shame.”

She reached up with her left hand towards her gem, which took the place of her right eye, pulling out a mid-sized curved knife, just as Rhodolite grabbed her around the waist with their right hand. They squeezed, and she poofed without much of a fight. They reached down and picked up the smooth green gem, admiring how the light created a Cat’s Eye affect, before bubbling the gem and grabbing the bag of stolen goods. They hopped down from the roof, bag over their shoulder and gem in their hand, towards the amethyst soldiers who had just barely managed to catch up. They all stopped upon reaching them, unsure of what to do.

“Um…”

“Caught yer bandit for you. Welcome.”

They dropped the bag, tossing the bubble to one of the soldiers, who caught it. As they walked off to go find the broken present, and repair it if possible, they heard the amethyst soldiers talking to each other.

“We’re probably in trouble, huh.”

“Probably.”

“Shards.”

* * *

They managed to find most of the pieces, carrying the shards in their poncho. After about another hour of searching, they decided that they had found as much as they were going to, and spent the next hour after that putting it back together, before dabbing a bit of spit on it, returning it to more or less perfect condition.

“Perfect. She’ll love it Ruby. I’m sure of it.”

_“I hope so.” _

_“Let’s go home so you can hide it.” _

Rhodolite nodded to themself, before heading towards the palace, and the galaxy warp they were most familiar with, disc tucked under their right arm.

* * *

Upon returning home they quickly made their way downstairs, running directly into Pearl and Sapphire returning from their own trip.

_“Oops.” _

_“Sapphy!” _

The two unfused, almost dropping the disc for a second time, though Steven caught it before it could break again. He sighed in relief, while Ruby started stuttering in a panic. Sapphire just chuckled and went off to hide her own present to Ruby, already wrapped, while Pearl just stood there in shock, mouth gaping. They all stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do, when the temple door opened, and Amethyst walked out, yawning. Upon seeing everyone staring at each other, she stopped.

“…Did I…miss something?”

**Author's Note:**

> Fan fusion belongs to otherwindow on Tumblr. Work was inspired by this post: https://otherwindow.tumblr.com/post/187990612840/thinking-about-a-ruby-steven-cowboy-fusion
> 
> As for what the disc is, it's just the gem version of a Live, Laugh, Love plaque. Sapphire loves it.


End file.
